


Benefits

by FrozenSnares



Series: Benefits of Detention [20]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Braavos, F/M, Graduate School, Graduation, Highgarden (ASoIaF), King's Landing, Museums, Old Timey Photos, Party, Post-Graduation, Shipbreaker Bay, Storm's End, The Reach - Freeform, Tours, Travel, Vacation, Winterfell, fun times, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-03 07:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21175346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenSnares/pseuds/FrozenSnares
Summary: It has been a long time coming. After a chance meeting in high school detention, a year of long-distance dating, two years of undergrad together, a variable gap year, and four years of graduate school, Rickon and Shireen are finally graduating. However, Rickon still has one more check to put on his list. For celebration, Rickon plans a short world tour, taking them across the Narrow Sea and to the properly tourist locales of King's Landing and Highgarden. Their last stop is Storm's End, and not just because Shireen requested it.Written forRickeen Shipweek 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HockeyGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HockeyGirl/gifts).

The sun was beating down, leaving all traces of winter in the past. All the heat served to do was to make the students lazier as finals rolled around. Not even the breeze could wake some of the students lounging about on the rolling lawns, some of whom had graduate degrees on the line in the coming week. Most of the students out and about had succumbed to the heat and were nestled in the shade of a tree, napping as the afternoon wore on. The weather was entirely unseasonal this far north, and the residents that were native to the area obviously didn’t know how to manage it.

Rickon Stark was one of the many. His head was buried in his arms, the books and notes that he should have been studying left long forgotten on the grass a ways away. He was entirely oblivious to the approach of his girlfriend, striding across the lawn. She was one of the few unaffected by the weather, having grown up in the south. As she got closer to her sleeping boyfriend, she bent down to retrieve his materials that were strewn about the lawn. Shireen tucked her skirt down, taking a seat next to Rickon. He stirred slightly, but didn’t wake.

Shireen brushed her fingers through his hair before digging out her laptop and working on one of her many essays. When she was a few pages into it, her attention was pulled away when there was a small tug on her hair.

“Has your hair always been this long?” Rickon yawned out. He stretched as he rolled over, reaching up to put more of her hair in his hand before letting his hand slip down. Smiling up lazily, Rickon mumbled out. “I like it.”

“I know, honey,” Shireen said, patting his cheek before putting her fingers to keys again. She typed out another sentence. “You tell me every day.”

Rickon groaned as he pulled himself up, folding his legs in to lean against her shoulder. “Not _every_ day,” he corrected, slinging an arm over her shoulders. He tilted his head further, reading over a section of her paper. He made a face before pecking her on the cheek. “Your adverbs need to become adverbs, darling,” he said. “Missing a few _ly_s in there.”

Scowling, Shireen re-read the paragraph. She deleted three sentences before re-writing them entirely without the adverbs in question. Rickon looked horrified of her blatant disregard for giving herself even more work than she already had to do. Shireen paid him no mind as she continued working. She typed rhythmically for quite some time, unhindered by the weight of her boyfriend on her shoulder. After a while, Shireen reached over and tapped Rickon’s leg.

“Hm?”

“You have to go to work.”

Rickon pulled out his phone to check the time. He sighed. “I guess.” He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Do you want me to bring home dinner?”

Shireen bit her tongue and hummed out a long sound. She finished her sentence before responding. “I think I should cook tonight.”

“Do you have time for that?” Rickon asked.

“Of course not.” Shireen snorted. “I have to edit my dissertation after this. _But,_ I am going to make time so my head doesn’t explode before I graduate.”

Rickon shook his head at her. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, and Shireen turned to receive a kiss on the lips. “Don’t explode,” Rickon told her. He stood up and headed down the lawn. “I’ll see you tonight.”

It was a short bus ride to work, and Rickon could allot the time to walk on occasion. Generally, the student discount was enough to get him to relax on the bus for the commute. He used the time today to make a checklist of everything he had left to turn in before graduation. His program had taken a much different structure than he expected, but he was doing well in all of his classes. School wasn’t going to be that much of an issue, but he still needed to make sure that he got approved for the vacation days he wanted.

The offices were nice and modern, though Rickon was happiest about all of the animals that were in an around the building. Choosing a workplace had been a surprisingly fun part of his last few years. He started at his dad’s company at first, but he quickly moved away to crush any talk of nepotism. That was not going to slide for his program. Now, he was proudly working at an animal sanctuary that primarily worked to buy land and maintain it for the sake of the endemic animals.

Rickon went into his office to get his work done for the day. Generally, he spent a long time responding to and sending emails. However, he specifically scheduled out part of his day to head into the section of the building where some of the animals lived. Rickon left his desk with glee to head down and see how the animals were doing today.

“Hey, how’s Caz doing today?”

“Rickon! Make some noise or something, man. You scared me.” Farlen put a hand over his heart and slouched down with a huge sigh.

“I do this every day, Farlen,” Rickon said. “How are you not used to this by now?”

Farlen shook his head. He slowly stood up straight again and gestured for Rickon to follow him. Rickon passed by all of the food storage, all clearly packaged and labeled. He waited for Farlen to open up the section open to outside air, where the animals were kept in their individual habitats. All of the animals were rescued and being rehabilitated before release, though a few were spending their lives here due to other concerns. Caz was Rickon’s favorite, an arctic fox that had been abandoned by its mother.

“She’s been having rough time with the heat,” Farlen told Rickon. He grabbed a nearby clipboard and read over it quickly. “I put in a request to get her some ice, but she’s in peak molting so much we don’t want her fur to cause any trouble.”

Rickon looked into the habitat to find the arctic fox streaked with grey. Despite the heat, the fox was still wandering around, sniffing at everything it could find. Her tongue was completely stuck out as she panted heavily.

“I don’t think she remembers that it’s hot out,” Farlen said. “I wish we could figure out what is going on in her head.”

“You haven’t asked?” Rickon suggested.

Farlen shook his head. “Of course I have,” he said. “I ask all of them every damn day. When one of the finally responds, we’ll make millions.”

Rickon laughed. “Is that the goal?”

“Only if we want to make money.” Farlen skimmed over the paper on the clipboard, scribbling down some notes. He paused during his writing to shook a confused look over to Rickon. “Aren’t you taking off soon? When’s graduation?”

“Next week.” Rickon shrugged. He swiped his ID on a pad near the door to let himself in with Caz. “I’m still scheduling some stuff.”

Farlen left Rickon to play with the fox, knowing that the animals under observation didn’t get nearly as much exercise as they needed. Besides, Rickon extensively studied animal sciences while in undergrad and knew exactly what these animals needed. Rickon grinned, thinking that Shaggydog would be a great playmate for Caz. He would never get the clearance to bring his dog here, though. It was too dangerous.

Hours later, Rickon was on his way back to work. Shortly after gaining a Bachelor’s, Rickon and Shireen had split the rent on an apartment in Winterfell. It was a short commute to the campus and to work. However, the biggest upside was that it was away from his family. Having the freedom to live his life as he pleased was the greatest decision he had ever made. Rickon valued his time with his family, knowing that it helped him become financially stable, but the time with Shireen was well worth any cost.

Rickon grinned as he jumped off the bus. He had just gotten formal clearance for vacation days that he needed. Now, he could plan in full for the upcoming few weeks.

Shireen stood at the kitchen counter and slumped over her laptop. Her focus was entirely on the screen and her fingers moved gently over the keys as she typed.

Rickon walked entirely against her and rested his head on her shoulder. “Did you get distracted from making dinner?”

“It’s in the oven.” Shireen switched tabs over to her email. “How was work?”

“The same as always,” Rickon said. He opened the oven door and gasped. “Lasagna!”

Shireen giggled. The noise was cut off by a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

Rickon lifted her and walked them over to the table. “And garlic bread? You must love me.”

Rolling her eyes, Shireen pouted. “You already know that.”

Rickon settled Shireen at the table and went to prepare them plates. While they ate, Rickon pulled out his own laptop and began some research. It was a pleasant evening that he had grown accustomed to. As Rickon created a new schedule, he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face.

Shireen went to take their plates to the sink. She gave Rickon a long look. “Alright, what’s got you so giddy?”

Rickon switched tabs to his email. “I am in the midst of a great plan.”

“For work?”

“I have long made it a point not to work from home,” Rickon scoffed. “This is purely for pleasure.”

Shireen nodded sagely. “Yours, I assume.”

“And yours.” Rickon closed the laptop. “Because next week, we will both be done with education.”

Shireen’s jaw fell.

Rickon backtracked. “I would like to redact that statement,” he said, “or possibly just insert a ‘formal’ somewhere in there? I’m not sure. You’re the English person with a doctorate.”

“Not yet.”

“You will be.” Rickon took his dishes to the sink. He washed off everything in there before taking his laptop to the couch. “After the great defending of your dissertation, we will both have ridiculous degrees and titles. More importantly, we’ll finally have a break.”

Shireen crossed her arms. “I hope this isn’t how you’re breaking up with me.”

“My gods, woman, we’re staying together until you get sick of me.” Rickon beckoned her closer and pulled her onto the couch. “I imagine we’ll be together until we have a real house and kids and tremendous amount of snacks.”

“Ooo, I do like snacks.”

“And you do want to get the government involved.”

Shireen squirmed in his arms. “It’s been ages, Rickon,” she said. “I just wanted to get all the school out of the way. Plus, it would be super embarrassing to address our Christmas cards as Mr. Stark and Dr. Baratheon.”

“Oh, I am definitely addressing everything we send out forever as ‘Mr. and Dr. Stark’,” Rickon said. He lit up with a thought. “Or should we be Dr. and Mr. Stark? Will people think we’re a gay couple? It doesn’t matter. I’m putting your doctorate on everything I can. You can pick the order.”

Shireen kissed his cheek. “You’re ridiculous.”

Rickon held up a hand. “Anyway, to the point at hand, I am planning us an extremely relaxing vacation to celebrate the end of all this school.”

“Where to?” asked Shireen.

“I’m still working on that,” Rickon said. He nuzzled into Shireen’s neck. “Do you have any requests? Or do you want to be surprised?”

Shireen batted him away. “It’s my vacation, too,” she said. “I want to enjoy it with no stress.”

Rickon grinned and tackled Shireen onto the couch. He climbed over her. “So where do you want to go?”


	2. Chapter 2

Rickon poorly concealed the grin on his face. Across the room, Shireen fidgeted at every odd touch and prod as Sansa painted her face with makeup. He told her that she didn’t need to go through this, even asking her to pick anyone other than Sansa to do this. Shireen knew that her graduation would probably make some sort of headline, since a large portion of her family responded that they would be coming. Rickon remembered feeling much like Shireen did when they first started dating.

“You know,” he called out, “we can un-invite Robert.”

“He’s already here.” Shireen fiddled with her phone. “My dad’s been texting me about how annoying it is.”

Rickon slumped back in his seat. “In just a few more hours, it’ll all be over,” he sighed. “We just have to put up with Sansa.”

Sansa backed away. “Excuse me?”

“Come on.” Rickon rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to try to convince me that you haven’t scoped out the best spots for pictures on campus?”

Sansa hesitated. “I… may have.” She hid a small cough. “I might also have asked Sandor and Gendry to act as blockers so we don’t have to worry about crowds.”

Enduring Sansa was, in fact, the hardest part of the day. Rickon and Shireen both sat around carefully and stiffly as draped their gowns, stoles, and cords over them. Shireen had a hundred bobby pins in her hair to keep her cap in place. Her protests were ignored entirely by Sansa who shuffled them around and made small adjustments as they were walking out the door.

Shireen leaned over to Rickon as he locked up their apartment. She hissed into his ear. “Do you remember when I almost had a mental breakdown before defending my dissertation?”

“Yeah.”

“I think today is worse.”

Rickon raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you want to run away?” he asked. “We already earned our degrees. We don’t have to show up at the ceremonies.”

“Let’s run to the courthouse and get hitched in these gowns,” suggested Shireen. “That way we’ll have some actual news to tell everyone going to your parents’ house tonight.”

“Honey, we’re not even engaged.”

Shireen shrugged. “You’re going to marry me eventually.”

“Obviously,” Rickon said, “but this would make that much more difficult.”

“Or easier, depending on your perspective.”

Rickon paused on the stairs and faced Shireen squarely. “When we get married, wherever it happens to be… we’re not going to be in these gross gowns.”

“Thank the gods.” Shireen pushed up onto her toes to kiss Rickon. She pulled away. “Move down a step. I should be taller than you today.”

“Okay, wow.” Rickon complied anyway. He moved down solely for the purpose of leaning up to kiss Shireen. They both ended up in giggles before wondering why Sansa hadn’t urged them to hurry up. At the bottom of the stairs, they found Sansa training the lens of a camera on them.

Sansa snapped a few more shots. “Can we get one with you both looking this way?”

The hour before they needed to be present for any ceremonies, Rickon and Shireen allowed Sansa to bustle them about the campus. They behaved for almost all of the pictures and listened to all of her directions for poses separately or together. It took quite some time and even more walking. The sun was out high, which made for great pictures but horrible conditions for being in black gowns. Rickon snagged a sturdy paper fan and committed himself to being Shireen’s personal fan throughout the duration of the picture-taking.

Sometime during the process, they were joined by their families and even more picture-taking happened. Rickon and Shireen were moved around and positioned with every iteration of their family members that was possible. Sansa even roped some innocent passerby into taking several pictures of all the accumulated people until they got one perfectly. Naturally, Sansa offered to return the favor, though she also repositioned everyone in that group and took multiple pictures until one met her approval.

Even though the ceremonies took a very long time, Shireen and Rickon were glad for the opportunity to sit down. It was a small period of relaxation throughout the day, followed by somehow even more picture-taking. 

When they were finally allowed to remove their gowns, Rickon pulled his off in one swift motion. He balled up the fabric with all the accessories trapped inside. Sansa looked horrified at this. Rickon shrugged. “I know how to iron.”

Shireen was only slightly more concerned with the state of her gown as she hastily pulled them off. She tried to sweep off her cap, forgetting about the numerous pins holding it in place. “Ow, ow, ow.”

“Come here.” Rickon pulled Shireen close and removed the pins and fast as he could. Naturally, this destroyed whatever styling had been done to her hair, but Shireen sighed in contentment.

Sansa put her hands on her hips. “Do you know how long that hairstyle took?”

“Yes, I do,” Rickon said. “I sat there the whole time, too. But I’d rather not have my girlfriend in pain, so we’ll deal.”

Shireen pushed away his palm as he offered her the pins. “Just trash them.”

Rickon did so and walked arm in arm with Shireen to the parking lot, where their family members were trying to recall where they parked. More gifts and assorted necklaces were given to them, and they accepted them with as much grace as possible.

“I’m starving,” muttered Shireen. She held onto Rickon’s arm tightly.

“I have some snacks stored in the sleeves of my gown.” Rickon shuffled through the bundle of his graduation gown until he found the pockets of his sleeves and pulled out two bags of chips. He handed one of them over to Shireen.

She blinked up at him in adoration. “Marry me.”

“Are you proposing?”

Shireen took the chips and ripped them open. “We’ve discussed this,” she said, shoving a chip in her mouth. “I want you to propose to me with a ring—size 7.”

“I know your ring size.” Rickon pressed a kiss to her temple. He didn’t tell her that he’d known her ring size for years and had even already purchased the ring he planned to propose to her with. It was safely locked away at his work—where he knew Shireen would never find it. She couldn’t even find a trace of it financially now that they shared a bank account, due to him buying it so long ago.

There was a small commotion as they wound their way through the parking lot. People had starting noticing Shireen’s aunts and uncles. Cell phones popped out all around them. Sansa’s hands went to smooth down Shireen’s hair and tuck away her loose strands.

Shireen batted her hands away. “No one is going to be taking pictures of _me_.”

Arya sipped at a drink and raised an eyebrow at her. “Someone is going to want to know why Robert and Cersei Baratheon are here.”

“The correct answer, of course, is the free drinks,” said Gendry.

They shared a laugh as they shuffled into cars with no rhyme or reason. As long as everyone had a seat for the short drive to the Stark estate, they assumed they’d be fine. Despite how central the estate was, Ned had already taken precautions and had authorities alerted to stave off any unwanted visitors from coming to the celebrations.

And the celebrations were beyond what any of them were expecting.

As soon as Rickon and Shireen stepped onto the grounds, they were greeted with popping bottles of champagne. It seemed that some family members had snuck off to prepare what seemed like a hundred glasses of it. When Robb pressed the stemware into Rickon’s hand, he was relieved to discover that it wasn’t actually glass.

“Congrats, bro!” Robb clinked his glass against Rickons. At Robb’s side, Brynden carried a tray lined filled with more glasses of champagne.

“Dad says I’m not allowed to drink with you.” Brynden held out the tray.

Rickon took a glass and handed it to Shireen. He winked at Brynden. “He’ll get distracted, and then we can have a drink.”

Brynden grinned. “I knew you were my favorite uncle.”

Shireen clinked her glass against Rickon’s. “I will condone this as long no one is driving,” she said. “Can we steal keys?”

Rickon took a sip from his drink. “I’m sure someone is already on it.”

“Mom is.” Brynden said. “She even got a breathalyzer.”

“Well, I should have seen that coming.” Shireen took a drink. “I suppose this has to do with you having a license.”

Brynden groaned and stomped back toward the kitchen.

Rickon leaned in to Shireen. “He’s going to be wasted at the end of the night. I’ll bet you twenty dollars.”

Shireen scoffed. “I’ll bet you more.” She downed the rest of her drink. “I’m sure he’ll be sneaking drinks all night, especially since I’m sure Robb won’t budge at home.”

Rickon nodded in agreement. He led Shireen onto the grounds where the party was set up. The party was calm for about five minutes, after which it descended into the utter chaos. The first five minutes were filled with clapping and introducing Rickon and Shireen to everyone. Then, the food was brought out and a majority of the people starting taking shots. Rickon was swarmed by his siblings, who toasted to everything. Shireen went off with a group of her friends and introduced them to her family. Robert and Ned started telling stories from their college days to anyone who would listen. Catelyn led a tour of the estate. Renly and Loras made drinks for everyone. The few children in attendance had a table of board games to play, and several aggressive games of Uno and Jenga were in full force.

The only person who seemed a little out of place was Stannis. Davos encouraged him to let loose and enjoy the festivities, but Stannis waved him off. He found pleasant company with some of the other graduates. They were deep in a conversation about the pros and cons of using a limited third-person perspective in writing when Rickon joined the group.

“How’s everyone doing?” he asked, hovering over them. “Can I get you anything?”

Sam waved him off. “Rickon, this is your party.” He tapped the chair at his side. “Sit down. Come meet Stannis. He has a fascinating take on perspectives. I have to tell Shireen about this.”

Rickon fell into the seat with a laugh. “Oh, she’s heard it.” He placed a hand steadily on Sam’s back. “That’s her dad.”

Sam choked on the drink he was taking. “_You’re_ her dad?”

“I am.” Stannis nodded curtly.

Across the circle Brienne snorted with laughter. “Couldn’t you tell?” she asked. “They look the same.”

“Half the Baratheons here look the same,” he shot back. “Doesn’t mean I think they’re all directly related.”

Rickon sat forward. “That reminds me,” he said. “Shireen and I are planning a vacation soon, and we wanted to stop by Storm’s End. Any chance you’ll be in the area?”

Stannis nodded curtly. “I’ll be there for the rest of this month and the next.”

“Great.” Rickon sat back in his seat. “I’ll contact you with our itinerary once it’s finalized.”

“Of course,” he said. “If there are any outings you’d like me to join, I’ll need ample notice.”

Rickon raised his drink. “Noted.”

Across the lawn, Shireen was dragging some friends over to Sansa and Arya. Elia forced her wrist away from Shireen’s grip. Behind them, Eleyna and Desmera laughed outright. Sansa raised an eyebrow at Shireen. Asha came up behind Sansa and placed a drink on her shoulder.

“What’s going on?” asked Asha.

“Tell them.” Shireen crossed her arms.

Elia shook her head. “This is not what I had in mind.”

Shireen glared at Elia. “This was your idea, and I don’t live here,” she said. “Tell them.”

Arya sat up. “Tell us what?”

Desmera stepped forward. “There’s no dance floor.”

Sansa and Arya shared a look. They blinked at each other for a moment before turning back to Shireen. Sansa cleared her throat gently. “There _is_ a floor,” she said, “and you are more than welcome to dance on it.”

Desmera frowned. “There’s no designated space.”

“You try to contain them once you start it,” Arya scoffed and leaned back in her seat. “Good luck.”

“What about the music?” Eleyna asked.

Asha cocked her ear up. Music had been going on for a while now. It wasn’t overwhelming, so people could continue to talk to each other. However, the sun was starting to go down. Asha raised a hand to her mouth. “Hey, Marg!”

Margaery looked up, propping herself against the guy she was hanging onto. “Yeah?”

Asha twirled her hands in the air.

Margaery lit up. She scrambled away for a short moment before returning. She pulled Elia and Eleyna into an open space. Just as they got there, the music shifted to a fast paced, upbeat song. The lights overhead dimmed slightly, and colors fell in random patterns over the grounds. Within a minute, guests were dancing wherever there was space. Some were much too close to the pool for comfort, but they were likely all too drunk to care. People were pulled out of their seats and dragged out to dance.

“Aren’t we too old to throw ragers?” Arya called.

Sansa knocked back her drink. “Never.”

Arya twisted her mouth at Sansa. “You’re going to be hungover for two days.”

“Worth it.” Sansa grabbed Arya and Shireen around the shoulders, leading them to dance.

Before long, they were lost in the crowd of moving bodies. Everyone moved recklessly, finding new dance partners seemingly at random and moving in sync with the beat. As the songs changed, the crowd would shift into a choreographed dance, before devolving into nonsense as soon as it ended.

Shireen bounced along to the beat until she was too hot to be around anyone else. She wove her way to safety and collapsed into an empty chair. Shireen lifted her hair from the back of her neck and searched around for a hair tie.

“Looking for this?” Rickon held out a hair tie to her.

“You’re my hero.” Shireen tied her hair into a sloppy ponytail and fanned her face. “This is crazy.”

“Clean-up is going to suck.” Rickon took the seat next to Shireen. He put an arm around her shoulders, but she shoved him away. “What’s wrong?”

Shireen shook her head. “I am dying of heat.”

Rickon left to a cooler and pulled out two water bottles. He gave one to Shireen and pressed the other against the back of her neck.

Shireen let out a sigh. She took a long drink, slipping some out of the corners of her mouth. She turned to Rickon. “Did you dance?”

“No, I was talking to your dad.” Rickon ran his hands through his hair. “More importantly, has anyone sliced into the cake?”

Shireen gave him a devious smile. “Let’s go find out.”

Since most of the guests were done eating, all the food had been moved inside. Shireen eyed the leftovers and considered getting seconds before she spotted Bran and Jojen eating some cake.

“You cut my cake without me?” Rickon shoved a finger at Bran. “That was rude.”

“It’s not _your_ cake,” defended Jojen.

Shireen pulled Rickon back. “It’s our cake,” she said, “and we’re sharing.”

Rickon settled down and helped Shireen into the seat across Jojen. He cut two pieces of cake and joined them at the table.

“Once the dancing breaks out, they’re useless,” Bran said. “That’s when it’s always prime time for me to get some cake.”

“He also can’t dance,” Jojen added.

“Hey!” Bran shoved Jojen.

Shireen shook her head and chewed through her cake. When she finished her slice, she threw her head back with a groan. “It’s actually over.”

“Yup,” agreed Rickon.

“I need a break.”

“Already on it,” Rickon said. “I’ve just booked our first relaxation extravaganza.”

Jojen furrowed his brow. “Can extravaganzas be relaxing?”

Rickon nodded. “Oh, it will be.”

Shireen slumped over onto the table. “Okay, I’m done with this party.”

“Go take a shower.” Rickon reached over and rubbed her leg. “At this point, no one is going to notice if you disappear.”

“They’ll think I’m drunk.”

Rickon snorted. “Do they even know you?”

Shireen paused. “They should.”

“I’ll join you in a bit.” Rickon pressed a kiss to her temple.

Shireen bade them goodnight before wandering off through the house. Rickon waited until he heard a door close in the distance before returning to his cake.

“So when are you going to propose?” Jojen asked. “There’s nothing else to wait for.”

“I’m working on it,” responded Rickon. “Since she’s so close to her dad, I’m trying to find a way that he can be there.”

Bran nodded slowly. “That’s thoughtful.”

“Do you have a ring?” Jojen asked.

Rickon nodded. “We’ve been talking about it.” He slumped back in his chair. “Plus, we’ve been living together for years now. It feels weird to be nervous about asking her to marry me.”

Jojen sat forward. “What if… we suggest that _she_ asks to marry _you_?”

“Absolutely not.” Rickon stacked up the dirty plates. “I’ve been coming up with this plan for too long just to have you two ruin it. Shireen deserves a proposal fit for a fairy tale.”

“Ah…” Jojen clasped his hands behind his head. “So… drug her, steal her shoe, lock her in a tower, turn her into a frog, put a pea under her mattress, prick her finger, and steal her voice.”

Bran nodded. “Then, kiss her, return the shoe, and take her out for some pizza.”

Rickon shook his head. “This is why you two should never plan anything,” he said. “I’m going to bed.”

Jojen turned to Bran. “Half of those things were really solved with a kiss, weren’t they?”

“Yeah,” Bran leaned onto Jojen’s shoulder. “I’m not sure why kisses equal true love. I’m not most in love with you when we kiss. It’s more like when you wash the dishes.”

Rickon tossed the plates away. He left his brother to his musings before following Shireen upstairs. He made straight for the shower. It had been a long day, and Rickon was ready for it to be over. More importantly, he was ready for their vacation and all the surprises he had planned.


	3. Chapter 3

Rickon shuffled around the contents of his pockets so he could free up his hands. He muttered a quick “Thanks” before taking the two drinks from the bar. Beads of water dripped down the sides of the glasses. The cold liquid was a relief from the burning sun overhead. The heat was brutal, and Rickon wanted to jump into the pool. He kept himself dry as he delivered the drinks to the chairs were Shireen was lounging.

She tilted the brim of her floppy hat and smiled at Rickon. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Rickon handed over the drink. He shook his empty hand and flicked drops of water in all directions.

“Hey!” Shireen lifted a hand to block the onslaught. “That was not nice.”

Rickon sat down. He pulled his sunglasses down to look fully at her. “I can always warm up my hands someplace else.”

Shireen scowled. She settled back into her chair and took a long drink.

They had been on the cruise for nearly a week now. After stops in White Harbor, Karhold, and Skagos, they were on their way to Braavos. It was the first stop of many on their grand summer adventure. Much to Shireen’s annoyance, Rickon had only shared portions of the itinerary with her. She did mention a few places she wanted to visit, but Rickon insisted that he knew her well enough to plan this trip for them.

During the days leading up to the trip, Shireen would sometimes name a random city or museum. Each time, Rickon assured her that they were already on his list. Now that they were firmly at sea with the entire month off, Shireen finally looked like she was enjoying herself. 

Rickon finished up his drink and placed it at that table beside him. With his sunglasses and the shade of the umbrella, it was comfortable out in the sun. Rickon also enjoyed the view. Shireen never had so much of her skin on display out in public. He blatantly stared at her as she finished up her drink, letting his eyes linger where droplets of water rolled across her stomach.

“Stop staring.”

“No.”

“Rickon, it’s getting weird.” Shireen put her empty glass down. “We’re in public.”

Rickon rolled his eyes. “This is hardly public,” he said. “Besides, I never get to enjoy seeing you in a bikini.”

“You want me to just walk around in the apartment in a bikini?”

“Definitely.”

Shireen reached over to lightly shove Rickon’s head. He caught her wrist and pulled her halfway from her chair. Rickon leaned over and kissed Shireen firmly. Shireen gently pushed him away. “There is a one person for chair rule.”

Rickon shook his head and kissed her again. “What a silly rule.”

“Enjoy it while you can,” Shireen said against his mouth. “We dock in Braavos tomorrow.”

“Can I put more sunscreen on you?”

Shireen pulled away and started putting on her sandals. She grabbed the loose dress she came out in and threw it over her head.

Rickon frowned. “Where are you going?”

“There are children out here.” Shireen gathered up their few belongings. She lowered her voice. “And if you want to touch me, you might as well give me a massage.”

Catching on, Rickon hastily gathered up the rest of their things. He shoved them haphazardly into Shireen’s bag and followed her inside.

\--

Despite the attempts to make Braavos look more inviting, the city still looked like it was carved from stone. More plants and flowers were spread out through the streets. Paints differentiated shops and restaurants and homes. The façade peeled away in some places, though, and the foundation of the city was entirely stone.

Shireen leaned into Rickon’s side. “We have to visit all the temples.”

“That’s what you’re thinking about right now?”

Shireen smiled sheepishly at him. They were seated in a small canoe, being pushed around the canals of the city. Braavos bustled around them. Shopkeepers put their best wares out on display, and merchants on the street cooked up small portions of food for tourists to sample. Aromas filled the air and tempted the locals closer, as well.

“We have to get some seafood while we’re here,” Shireen said. She dragged a finger through the water. “I hear it’s the best in the world.”

“Oh, definitely.” Rickon leaned back and stretched his legs out. He leaned into Shireen’s shoulder. “I already reserved a table for us at Moroggo’s.”

Shireen shook her hair back. “Have you completely booked us solid for this trip?”

Rickon stroked his fingers over her shoulder. “Course not,” he said. “I just thought we should hit the best of the best while we’re here. I’ve left us a few days for you to drag me along to any museums or historical sites you want to visit.”

“Honey, there are temples here for literally every religion,” Shireen said. She batted her eyelashes at him and slid her hand onto his thigh. “It’s going to consume a lot of time.”

Rickon pressed a long kiss to her cheek. “That’s why I planned this trip for you.” He turned to the man pushing their canoe through the canals. “Can we?”

“Of course, my sir.” He steered them through the city and out to Ragman’s Harbor.

Shireen’s eyes shone with delight as she pointed out various nuances of architecture and different sites to Rickon. He nodded along, waiting for her gasp when she realized where they were heading. “Seriously?”

“I only let myself plan one day in each place. Had to make it the best.”

“That is not true.” Shireen bumped his shoulder, sending the boat rocking gently. “You have more plans than you’re letting on.”

Rickon pulled up a bag of Braavosi snacks. “Maybe,” he conceded. “It’s just for things that need to be booked ahead. A lot of places will only take reservations, and it was less expensive to be tour passes to historical sites than to pay entrance fees for each one.”

Shireen narrowed her eyes at him. “How much money did you spend on this trip?”

“I got a company discount.”

“You work at a nonprofit.”

“I never said it was _my_ company.”

Shireen giggled and eagerly leaned forward as the Drowned Town came into view. Naturally, they couldn’t see much of the actual city. Even with all the excavation, the town wasn’t saved from sinking. The tops of the buildings were above the water line. Some brave people were walking over those that still had roofs, but with the state of disrepair, it did not seem to be a good plan. A few groups had docked boats and suited up for diving into the depths of the underwater buildings.

“That looks horrifying.” Shireen turned away from the people and looked over the structures.

Rickon smiled. “I know, and that’s why we’re not doing it.”

“Would you look at this?”

Grinning, Rickon leaned over the boat. He patiently listened to Shireen as she thoroughly explained how the city came to be and why it sunk in nearly perfect condition before succumbing to years of sun damage and exploring looters.

“The real feat was in the mortar,” explained Shireen. She pressed a hand against the closest wall. “The ancient Braavosi had a recipe for their mortar that scholar sought to duplicate for years with no success. That’s why this city continued to stand, even though it still sinks deeper every day.”

Behind them, the man steering nodded appreciatively. “If you don’t mind me saying, I’m a bit useless here.”

Shireen twisted around to look at him. “But you’re steering and doing all the work.”

He grinned and pushed them to the next building. “Not all of it.”

“He’s also our local expert on the city,” Rickon said. “Apparently, we didn’t need one. You’re filling his shoes just fine.”

“I can stop,” offered Shireen.

“Please don’t.” He continued steering them through the city. “I’m learning a lot. Though, I imagine you won’t need me at all if you can also speak Braavosi.”

Shireen sat back with a gentle flush on her face. “I don’t.”

Her shyness at being caught spewing facts only lasted about a minute. By the time they pulled into the docks at the city center, Shireen was on another spiel about the city and its history. They thanked the man on the canoe, and Shireen apologized for spending the entire time talking. Rickon steered them away before she took it too far.

For the rest of their time in Braavos, everything was much the same. Shireen had an abundance of facts to share about the various structures and buildings they visited. Wherever they went, a small crowd of tourists accumulated around them. Each time, Shireen shied away from the attention and mumbled herself into silence. With a little bit of encouragement from Rickon, she kept at it.

“I think you’re the best tour guide this city has ever seen,” Rickon said. He dug out a bite of ceviche and poured some hot sauce on it.

Shireen sipped her wine. “I don’t do it for everything.”

Rickon gave her an incredulous look. “At the Sept-Beyond-The-Sea, the _tour guide_ asked you questions.”

“That doesn’t count.” Shireen prepared herself a bite. “We’re from Westeros. That’s the major religion.”

“I’m northern.”

“Even you know some of that stuff about the Seven,” Shireen busied herself with eating for a while.

“Yeah, but you’ve got an entourage.”

“Excuse me?”

Rickon reached for his drink. “Stay calm,” he said. “Sitting on the bench across the street is a much older couple. Like, elderly old. I’m pretty sure they’ve followed all day today two different temples.”

Shireen snorted. “Why would they do that?”

“Darling,” Rickon gave her a long look. “Take a guess.”

Shireen pointed a fork at Rickon. “You’re ridiculous.”

Rickon took a few bites. He leaned onto the table and singled his gaze on Shireen. She snuck glances over to the couple a few times. Due to her distraction, Shireen completely lost all prior conversation and ignored Rickon’s comments. As the finished up, Shireen grasped the back of Rickon’s shirt. She wasn’t watching where they were going. Rickon led them to the House of Black and White.

“They _are_ following us.”

“Ignore them,” Rickon told her.

A tour guide stopped them at the entrance. “The next guided tour is gathering on the left,” she said. “They’ll be heading out in five minutes. If you’d like to explore the temple at your leisure, we offer headsets for your convenience.”

Rickon scowled at the headsets. “Any chance we can just roam and look at everything on our own?”

“Of course.” The woman put away the headsets. She pulled out pamphlets and opened one to a map. “The layout often confuses tourists,” she said. “Please just heed the restricted areas, as they are for those who still keep to the Many-Faced God.”

“Thanks.” Rickon took the two pamphlets and pulled Shireen into the temple.

Shireen had a deep frown on her face. “Wouldn’t it be odd to still keep the Many-Faced God?”

Rickon pulled them up to the pool in the center in the room. “I don’t know enough about this place to judge,” he said, “but I’m sure you can tell me all about it.”

Shireen did, but not before telling him about each of the statues around the room. When they neared the end of the room, Rickon let out a huge sigh. Shireen raised an eyebrow at him.

“If this temple has all the gods in it,” he started slowly, “why did we even go to the others?”

“Architecture, culture, respect,” listed Shireen. She grinned up at Rickon. “I don’t know why you’re complaining. Every time I check if you’re listening, you’re not even looking at the art.”

Rickon smirked. “What am I looking at?”

Shireen blushed. “Me.”

“So I _am_ looking at the art.”

Shireen elbowed him lightly. She led him over to another statue. She glanced over her shoulder as she went and found the old couple following after them. Grabbing onto Rickon’s arm, she whispered, “I think we have a shadow.”

Rickon chuckled. “They just recognize your superiority as a tour guide.”

Shireen became slightly terse until Rickon asked her some questions about the statue. With a bit of encouragement, Shireen released her usual flow of information. She told him stories and mythologies, explaining how and why the statues were made. This continued on until they finished a lap of the room. They couldn’t explore beyond the room, as every passageway was off limits. Still, Shireen told Rickon what they would find if they did head back.

“Do you think they kept all the faces?” he asked.

Shireen twisted her mouth. “Flesh does not keep very well.”

“But if they did this their whole lives…”

“Don’t be silly.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Rickon pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’m going to find a bathroom before we hit the next temple.”

“Here?” asked Shireen.

Rickon shrugged. “These people had to pee, too.”

Shireen giggled and wandered through the hall on her own. After a minute, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around with a smile. “Are you — Oh. Hello.”

The old couple was standing behind her. “Sorry to bother you,” the woman said. “We’re visiting from Lys, and we couldn’t afford a tour. It’s been lovely to follow you along. I hope we didn’t frighten you.”

“Not at all,” Shireen said. “I’m glad to be of help.”

“We’re heading back to Lys tonight, and I wanted to thank you properly.” The woman started digging around her bag.

“You don’t have to,” Shireen hurried out. “I would’ve been talking anyway. It’s better that others learned as well.”

The woman held out a small brooch shaped like a bird. “For you.”

“Oh, I couldn’t.”

The woman smiled and pressed it into Shireen’s hand. “I hope you and your husband have a long marriage.”

Shireen opened her mouth with a correction, but thought better of it. She smiled. “Thank you.”

As they left, Rickon returned and slung an arm over shoulders. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Shireen opened her hand and showed the brooch to Rickon. “They gave me a present.”

“Who?”

“Them.” Shireen gestured to the couple leaving the temple.

Rickon smiled. “Just properly tipping their tour guide.”

“Stop that.”

Rickon laughed and led Shireen out the doors. Their time in Braavos was coming to an end, but more awaited them. Each day of this trip so far had been bliss. Rickon spent a majority of his time just looking at her and listening to her talk about things she knew so well. Rickon wanted this vacation to last forever. In the same time, he wanted to fast-forward to the end of their vacation, when he would finally ask Shireen to marry him.


	4. Chapter 4

A thin stream of light fell through the crack in the curtain. It was a foot away from crossing Rickon’s eyes. He had already moved away from the sunlight once, forcing Shireen to the edge of the bed. She solved this issue by lying mostly on top of him, which he had no complaints to. Rickon leaned down and pressed a kiss to Shireen’s forehead.

She looked up through her eyelashes. “Are you sure we don’t have anything to do today?”

Rickon smiled. “I very intentionally planned nothing for today.”

“Wait.” Shireen propped herself up on his chest. “Are you telling me that we could be at a museum right now?”

“Absolutely not.” Rickon hugged her to his chest. “Part of my plan was to sleep with you in every place we stay. That’s why we have one lazy day in each place.”

“You said it was for rest!”

Rickon shrugged. “Nope,” he said. “If so, we’re doing it wrong.”

“You could have told me,” Shireen nuzzled into his neck, “instead of seducing me.”

Rickon slowly ran his hands over her back. He leaned down and kissed her neck. “This isn’t seduction,” he said. “You’re already naked.”

Shireen stretched out her neck to given Rickon better purchase. “So after this lazy morning, we can go see the city?”

“Don’t say it like that…” Rickon rolled them over and slid his hands up her sides. “Would you really rather be out there than here?”

Shireen giggled. “Nothing on you, but we live together,” she said. “I haven’t had the full tourist’s experience of the Crownlands.”

Rickon raised an eyebrow at her. “You want to be a tourist?” he asked. “Are we going to take old-timey photos? Find a litter to ride in? Pose instead the jaws of a dragon and act like we’re scared?”

“Honestly, that sounds kind of fun.” Shireen reached around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. She sighed against Rickon’s mouth, combing her fingers through his hair.

\--

The sun was high in the sky, beating down hard and threatening sunburn. The cobblestones were uneven and easy to trip over, making walking more difficult than it should have been. This late in the day, Rickon was close to complaining about the sheer amount of walking. Shireen kept going about, and he didn’t know how her feet weren’t bleeding.

“This was a bad idea.” Rickon loosely trailed behind the group. He rubbed the sweat off his forehead. “Am I allowed to jump in a fountain?”

“Hm?” Shireen grabbed his hand and pulled him forward.

Rickon slumped after her. “Are you enjoying this?”

“Our tour guide is really smart,” Shireen said. “And he can read all the Valyrian.”

They were on a walking tour of King’s Landing. Though they were nearing the end, it had been three hours with few breaks as they went to all the major sights and some of the minor sights in the city. Shireen took pictures at every stop and along the way. Rickon was thankful that she didn’t care if they were in the pictures, save for on a few rare occasions.

“Are you okay?” Shireen furrowed her brow at him. She pulled on Rickon’s fingers and kissed his shoulder.

“My feet are killing me,” Rickon said. He leaned onto her. “We’re almost done, though, and there’s a cast of a dragon skull coming up.”

Shireen grinned at him. “Do you want to look up places for lunch?”

Rickon winked at her. “I’m on it.”

Though Rickon did look up food places nearby, he also listened to the remainder of the tour. He dutifully followed Shireen closely. She grinned the entire time, pointing at the dragon skull. Rickon sat on a short wall and listened to their tour guide explain all about the age of dragons. The plaque in front of the skull had writing in Ancient Valyrian that the guide read perfectly. He looked up at the group expectantly. “Does anyone want to give it a try?”

“I’ll do it!” Rickon jumped up and squinted at the Valyrian. He read out the letters in a garbled mishmash of sound. Then, he grinned triumphantly.

The tour guide smiled weakly. “Not quite.”

Shireen grabbed onto Rickon’s arm with a giggle. “Good try, though.”

After being dismissed, they headed in the general direction of their hotel while looking out for the restaurant Rickon found.

“What are we eating today?” Shireen asked.

Rickon looked out to the setting sun. “Well, I figured that we’ve already been on this tour for a few weeks, so you might like something from home.”

“Mhmm.” Shireen clasped her hands behind her back. “You miss northern food.”

“So much,” Rickon groaned. “No other place does meat like the north. I just want a steak.”

Shireen laughed and followed Rickon to a steakhouse overlooking Blackwater Bay. Just as its name implied, they couldn’t see anything in the water but the colors of the setting sun on the ripples of the waves. They enjoyed a full meal with all the staples of the north. Rickon dug into the hearty meal with vigor.

Near the end of their meal, their waitress returned. “Would you care for a dessert tonight?”

Rickon leaned back in his seat and rubbed his belly. “I couldn’t eat another bite,” he said. “Do you want anything, honey?”

“No, thank you,” Shireen said.

“Of course.” The waitress placed the check on the table. “Take your time.” As she walked away, she stole glances back to their table.

Shireen leaned toward Rickon. “I think she was expecting a proposal.”

“In King’s Landing?” Rickon made a face. “I would never do that to you.”

“Are we not going to visit our old high school?”

“Definitely not,” Rickon said. “Besides, it was far outside the city. That’s too far. We’re going to do something way better than that.”

“Like what?”

\--

“This is ridiculous.”

“You’re going to love it.”

“Are you sure?” Shireen scowled up at the castle. “I’d be fine with a tour.”

Rickon rolled his eyes. “They still don’t let people through the Red Keep,” he explained. “And this castle has no real significance. This was just a fun bonus thing.”

Shireen stared at the castle for a while. “Fine.” She turned toward Rickon. “But I still think it’s weird.”

“Acceptable,” Rickon said, nudging her forward. He followed Shireen into the building beside the castle. Shireen obediently went forward and agreed to sit down in a chair. “It’s gonna be fun.”

“You just like to tease me.”

Rickon leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “I really do.”

A side door opened and a woman wheeled in a small cart. “Hello, I’m Dezi, and I’ll be helping you out today.”

“Shireen.” She shook her hand.

“Rickon.”

“And what look are we going for today?” Dezi asked.

Shireen shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“A classic Storm’s End look,” Rickon said. He winked at Shireen. “She’ll pull it off perfectly.”

“Sounds good.” Dezi opened up containers of makeup and turned Shireen to face her. Then, she looked to Rickon. “Do you want to be surprised?”

Rickon’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah.” He got up from his seat. “Is there somewhere I could wait?”

“Head on through the door,” Dezi said. “We’ll see you later.”

Shireen waved from her seat. Rickon gave her a quick smile and left through the door. He wandered through the building until he ended up back in the front room. He leaned against the counter until a woman came out the back room. He nodded toward the door. “How long will that take?”

The woman smiled. “About thirty minutes,” she said. “Should we get started on you?”

“Sure,” Rickon followed the woman, who introduced herself as Delena, down a different hallway and into a beautifully adorned room with a rack of traditionally-made clothing. “Oooo.”

“What look would you like?” asked Delena.

“Stark colors,” Rickon said immediately. “The darkest grey you have, ideally. The more ancient and war-torn you can make me look, the better.”

Delena gave him a devious smile. “Oh, I can do that.”

Rickon sat back in the chair and chatted amiably with Delena while she brushed makeup over his face. He watched on with amusement as she messed with his hair and made his curls appear to be lank with sweat. “That’s sick.”

“Do you want a scar?”

“Yes!” Rickon indicated a few places where Delena should add scars, and she did. The overall effect made him look older and more weathered, as if he had only recently come from a battlefield. “I wish I could look like this all the time.”

Delena nodded appreciatively. “It’s a good look.”

He worked through the clothing and managed to get everything on properly with only a little bit of help from Delena. Rickon shifted the breeches and tucked them firmly into his boots. “That’s better.”

“Want a cloak?” Delena offered. “I think we have a Stark one…”

Rickon waved her off. “No, but a sword would be nice.”

“You have good taste,” Delena noted. She led him over to a selection of swords hanging across a wall.

“I’ve been planning this for slightly longer than I’ll admit.”

Delena laughed and helped Rickon attach the sword to his belt. He made a few final adjustments in front of a mirror. A teenaged boy knocked softly on the window. Delena opened the door.

He gave her a thumbs-up. “They’re almost in position.”

“Let’s go.” Delena shoved Rickon out and took him on a roundabout path through the castle. “She’ll be at the top of the stairs. You’ll be at the bottom, probably meeting halfway.”

“Sounds good.” Rickon followed along, pausing when he was instructed to.

A permanent grin was stuck on Delena’s face. She looked ready to squeal with excitement. When they were in the adjoining chamber to the hall of the castle, Delena put up a hand and stopped them from moving forward. Shireen’s voice carried toward them.

“Are these originals?”

“No, but we had an expert in the field on-site for construction and renovations,” a man explained. “Everything has the proper patina to date it to about 300AC.”

“They did great work.” Shireen’s footsteps echoed away. “Are they coming?”

There was a short pause. “They’re on their way,” he said. “Feel free to look around. I’ve been told there are some original books upstairs.”

“Really?” Shireen’s voice rushed out in eagerness.

“I’ve never looked myself, but feel free.”

Rickon nodded in appreciated. “Clever,” he said. “She can’t resist old books.”

Delena smiled. “We don’t even have any books,” she said, “but she’ll be in position for the photo op. Great tip.”

“I do what I can.” Rickon edged toward the doorway.

Delena put a hand out to stop him. She nodded to the boy. “Go see if they’re in position. Remember the signal.”

Rickon bounced on the balls of his feet until he was shoved forward. He took long strides into the room, quickly finding the staircase. Shireen was nowhere to be seen.

“Stand at the bottom,” the man said. He had a large camera set up on a tripod. He checked the lens and said, “A little to the right.”

Rickon stood as directed and waited.

Shireen voice drifted down. “I don’t see any book up here.” The _clack_ing of her steps grew louder and Rickon spotted the hem of a brilliantly gold dress. Then, she gasped. “Rickon?”

Shireen emerged from the hall with a look of wonder on her face. She was entirely done up like she was a noble princess waiting alone in a castle while men were off at war, though a bit overdressed for the occasion. Her hair was partially piled atop her head in an elaborate knot with a few stray ringlets fell on her shoulders. She stopped at the top of the staircase and smiled. “You didn’t tell me you were getting dressed up, too.”

“And let you have all the fun?” Rickon took a step toward her. “I don’t think so.”

At the same time, they started toward each other on the stairs. Rickon moved up slowly while Shireen came down. They met on the short middle landing. Rickon extended a hand out to her and she took it. As they went down the stairs together, Shireen leaned into Rickon’s side and whispered, “How long have you been planning this?”

“Months,” Rickon said. He didn’t want to tell her that it had actually been years – that this plan started moving into motion the second he saw the look on her face the first time she visited the Stark castle in Winterfell. 

Shireen giggled. The photographer followed them around as they explored the castle. A few times Dezi and Delena, who happened to be sisters, stopped them to demand that they pose in a certain way. It often took several minutes for these photo sessions to finish before they were allowed to walk around again.

Rickon enjoyed it much more than he expected. He gladly lifted Shireen onto a few structures for pictures, even though she protested about her balance the entire time.

“I’m going to fall.” Shireen reached out for a column. She wasn’t wobbling at time, but she still argued.

“You’re fine.” Rickon brushed down the hem of her gown.

As Dezi and Delela ran out to prepare the next appointment for their photos, the photographer took over suggesting poses for them. Rickon complied without question, but Shireen did not.

“No, thank you.”

“Aww, come on, Shir,” called Rickon.

“I’m going to break my ankle.”

Rickon rolled his eyes. “I would never let that happen to you.”

“It’s a bad idea.” Shireen clung to the column.

The photographer looked up. “It would make a great picture.”

Rickon grinned at Shireen.

She took a deep breath. “Fine,” she said, “but if I get hurt…”

“My job will cover all of your medical expenses?” Rickon finished. He held out his arms. “Just jump.”

Shireen stood still for another couple of minutes before announcing that she would jump. Then, it took another three minutes for her to actually leap from her spot of safety. As promised, Rickon caught her securely in his arms and spun her around.

“Put me on the floor this instant,” she demanded.

Rickon did as he was told. “Yes, m’lady.”

Shireen stepped away and made a small circle. She took a few deep breaths and got her bearings. Rickon leaned against the bannister and watched her settle down. She finally turned back to him with a smile. “I guess that wasn’t so bad.”

Rickon grinned. “Want to do it again?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Fair.” Rickon moved in front of her and held out his hand. “Shall we dance?”

Shireen raised an eyebrow at him. “You want to dance?”

Rickon leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I think it’d be a shame if we let the opportunity passed, given our fancy clothes.”

Shireen took his hand. “Do you remember how to lead?”

They spun around the room in small circles. Having danced before, Rickon remembered how to lead Shireen around. With only a few stumbles, they found an easy rhythm before Rickon tried to twirl her. Shireen did not get the cue, and it took a few more tries before she got a proper spin. Rickon kept going a few more times, watching her giggle through her growing dizziness.

Rickon pulled Shireen close to his chest. He hugged her tight as they continued to sway side to side. He didn’t officially keep a countdown, but now he knew there was only a week left before they would start planning a wedding.


	5. Chapter 5

Across the vast lawn, wind whipped the grass and flowers into neat, even ripples. The wind was gentle and calm, subduing the harsh rays of the sun beating down. In the distance, a massive castle grew from the grounds. It looked in magnificent upkeep. Every stone was cleaned. Flags waved from the top of each tower. A small trail of people walked toward the castle.

“This is ridiculous.” Rickon put a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. “Can you imagine what Highgarden proper looks like?”

“There are pictures,” Shireen said matter-of-factly, “but the Tyrells still live there, so they don’t allow public tours. I’m sure you could ask Margaery if you want to visit.”

Rickon shook his head. “That was a rhetorical question.” He kept on for a moment before adding, “I also don’t really want to ask any of Sansa’s exes for any favors.”

They followed the path up to the front door. Occasionally, they had to move out of the way of a carriage that was bringing people in for an upscale experience. They waited in front of the castle and looked over it for a while.

Rickon leaned over to Shireen and asked, “Better than Winterfell?”

Shireen shook her head. “No outer walls, battlements, or visible barriers.” She turned to Rickon dramatically. “They’d be breached in a second.”

They followed a tour group into the castle. Shireen didn’t bother to provide her own commentary. She kept pace as they were led through a select route. Rickon asked for permission to touch everything and he immediately put his hands on anything he was allowed to. He sat on every chair, bed, and couch that they came across. He was so insistent that their tour guide ended his segment for each room by indicating what they could and couldn’t touch.

“This is so cool.” Rickon’s voice echoed through the empty suit of armor. He lowered the visor of the helmet. “I just can’t imagine anyone actually fighting in this.”

On the other end of the room, Shireen ran her hands over a tapestry. “Look at these colors,” she called. “The detail is exquisite.”

Rickon leaned onto her shoulder. “They’re just flowers.”

Shireen tapped his cheek. “They literally put in every single petal and leaf.” She traced a section of the tapestry. “Look at this tree. All the wood details and bark is there.”

“It’s okay,” Rickon conceded.

“You just liked the bed better.”

Rickon’s eyes went wide. “I can’t believe they let me sit on it.” He threw his head back. “It was so soft… I want a blanket like that.”

Shireen looked blankly at him. “They’re expensive.”

Rickon grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. “I’ll like our bed better when we get home.”

A dreamy smile grew on Shireen’s face. “Honestly, this vacation has been amazing, and I love it,” she said, “but I’m so excited to get to my dad’s and sleep in a familiar bed.”

“Two more days.” Rickon gently tapped her hand and led them out to the staircase. They finished their tour of the castle through the kitchens, looking into the storage areas that were obviously modernized with refrigerators and ovens. Still, Shireen was amused with an old-fashioned butter churner and the displays of utensils from the early days of the castle.

Across the front lawn, a small café was nestled near a stream. Rickon and Shireen took seats there to rest their feet. They got snacks and drinks while they waited and got their energy back for their walk around the grounds of the castle. They mostly sat in silence, feeling the wear from their weeks of travel.

“I am okay with leaving the Reach early,” declared Rickon. “It’s hot and there is way too much space for every castle.”

Shireen took a sip of her tea and slowly put the cup down. “This castle has a poison garden,” she said. “I’m not missing that.”

Rickon raised an eyebrow. “Real poison?”

Shireen nodded and led the way to an extensive garden. From what they could see, rows of flowers of all different shapes and colors extended out until the horizon disappeared. Most of the garden was fenced off to prevent visitors from destroying the blooms. Shireen and Rickon walked through the open side of the garden, stopping to take pictures of the flowers. Rickon even convinced Shireen to take some pictures with the flowers.

“It’s a shame they don’t have any winter roses.” Rickon flicked the leaf of a rose. “They’re way better than these flowers.”

Shireen shook her head. “This climate would kill them,” she said. “You know they prefer the cold.”

“But they’re so pretty.” Rickon poked at a blue flower. “This is like a cheap knockoff.”

“Would you like to venture to the poisons?”

“Would I?” Rickon followed Shireen through the garden.

They took a circuitous route, unwilling to trample through any of the plants. They followed the marked paths. As they walked along, the hedges built up around them. After a while, it was clear that they were truly lost in hedges.

“Did we end up in a maze?” asked Rickon. He scowled at a bush and pressed his face close to it.

Shireen pulled him back. “Don’t do that,” she said. “I have no idea what plant that is. Besides we can just head backwards.”

They did so. Only a few meters away, they came across a fork. Shireen paused. “Did we come from the left or the right?”

“Uhh, left?” Rickon headed off in that direction. He turned a corner, and Shireen chased after him.

She clutched onto his arm. “This would be a horrible time to lose you,” she said. “I don’t want to be stuck in the Reach.”

“What would you do here?” Rickon asked. “Dig through the hedges to fight your way out?”

“That would do more damage to me than the plants.” Shireen looked at the possible routes at the next split in the path. This time the path split into three. “I might just be lost forever.”

Rickon gave her a sideways look. “Just follow a left-pattern-search.”

“I’m sorry, a what?”

“Left-pattern-search,” Rickon repeated. “You know, like in video games, if you get lost, you can just follow the left wall and eventually you’ll find something.”

“What if the left wall is an island, and you just go around in a loop the whole time?” Shireen asked.

Rickon rolled his eyes. “You just jump to a new wall and follow it with your left hand.”

“And why left?” Shireen asked. “Why wouldn’t you do it with your right hand?”

Rickon shrugged. “It sounds cooler?” he suggested. “I honestly have no idea. I just learned about it from video games.”

Shireen leaned into his side. “Can we try it now?”

“Good idea.” Rickon leaned against one wall and started through the maze. The walls around them kept one look the entire time. They stood as as omnipresent wall of leaves. Following the left side, they wandered through the maze.

“You know, once you get past the idea of being stuck in here forever, it’s actually quite nice,” Shireen said. “The air is fresh, and the green is really nice to look at.”

Rickon shrugged. “I don’t think it even snows here, and you know how much I like breathing in cold air.” He grinned. “It feels good in your lungs.”

“This is why you get sick every year.” Shireen pushed him forward.

They wandered through the maze for half an hour until they reached a clearing. There was a wide square yard. Benches circled the area. Most were occupied with couples sharing a moment of quiet in the shade. A few had children playing around them and drawing pictures in the dirt. On the other side of the year, the hedge blocked off the view.

“Still in the maze,” Rickon said. He sighed. “Do you think we can find view of the way out from here?”

“Nope.” Shireen pointed off in the distance, “but there’s a sign.”

Rickon kissed her cheek. “This is why you’re the smart one.”

They went through the maze and followed the posted signs until the castle rose above the hedges and they walked out into the lawn between the flower garden and the hedge maze.

“This place is huge,” Rickon sighed, “and we haven’t found the poisons yet.”

Shireen shook her head and rolled her eyes. “It’s not a place of glass jars and liquids,” she explained. “It looks like a regular garden. Every plant in it just happens to be deadly.”

Rickon raised an eyebrow. “And we’re allowed to walk through it?”

“No touching anything.” Shireen pulled Rickon along. They walked to the further end of the grounds to a fenced-off garden. The entrance was riddled with signs that warned visitors from walking off the path or touching any of the plants.

As soon as they were through the gates, Rickon scoffed. “Those signs are pointless.” He pointed to one of the caged plants. “No one can even get to the plants.”

Shireen giggled. “Well, they don’t want us normies to just grab onto any of the dangerous plants.”

“True.” Rickon followed Shireen through the garden. They read every plate that described the plants and what they were used for. As they went through the garden, Shireen and Rickon mused on the possible use for these plants and keeping them in condition aside from having the historical accuracy. 

After wandering out of the garden, Rickon and Shireen found a place on the lawn to sit out and rest their legs. Rickon slung an arm over Shireen’s shoulders. “I must say that this has been very nice,” he said. “Time away from Winterfell after undergrad and graduate school was much needed. It just feels nice to be away for a bit. I miss home, though.”

“Me, too,” Shireen said.

“Winterfell?” asked Rickon. “Or do you want to go back to Storm’s End?”

“We are going,” Shireen said. “My dad’s waiting for us to visit so we can have dinner with him.”

Rickon nodded. “I also invited him to the museums with us,” he said, “but he said that he’s already gone recently.”

Shireen smiled. “That sounds like him. Davos usually gets him out of the house enough.”

Lying down, Rickon placed his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sun warmed up his face. He relaxed under the light. Shireen moved down beside him. She snuggled up to his side and placed her ear over his heart. Rickon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close.

“You okay?” he asked.

Shireen hummed gently. “I just want to rest.”

“Alright.” Rickon bowed his head into hers. They stayed on the lawn until they were shooed off by some security guards a few hours later.


	6. Chapter 6

The water beat down in even waves. Rickon tilted his head back and scrubbed at his scalp. The shower refreshed him and definitely felt like it was three weeks in the making. Rickon cleaned off in the hot water, lightly wrung out his hair, and dried off. He pulled on his pajamas and rubbed the towel roughly over his head. He wandered back into the room and flopped onto the bed.

Shireen reached over and rubbed his head.

“Why are hotel showers much less refreshing?” he asked. “It feels like this is the first shower I’ve taken in weeks.”

Shireen giggled. “I guess it’s a good thing my dad let us stay here.”

Rickon twisted around and crawled up the bed. “I’m honestly surprised he lets me stay in the same room with you.”

“It’s been years.” Shireen put her phone down on the table and rolled into him. “I think he knows that he can’t get rid of you.”

Rickon smiled into her shoulder. “He still threatens me every time we visit.”

“What?” Shireen’s eyes went wide.

“In a good way,” Rickon corrected quickly. “He’s just very protective of you.”

Shireen rolled her eyes. “He needs to let me off on my own.”

Rickon laughed. “Oh, he did.” Rickon kissed Shireen’s cheek. “I’m sure it was hard for him to let you date me in high school.”

“You weren’t _that_ bad.”

Rickon raised an eyebrow. “But from his perspective, I was just some delinquent kid who almost got arrested for fighting,” he pointed out. “How was he supposed to know that I’m actually the greatest human in existence?”

“Really stroking your own ego there.” Shireen pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and scooted down on the bed. “Besides, if that wasn’t true, we’d have never met.”

Rickon smiled at her. He grabbed onto one of her hands and leaned over to kiss her. “It’s a great thing you got detention, too, huh?”

Shireen shook her head. They’d had this conversation several times over the years. No matter how many times Shireen explained that she wasn’t actually in detention, Rickon argued that it was definitely supposed to be a punishment if she was looking after him. Still, they both looked back on those meetings fondly.

Shireen sighed.

“Hm?” Rickon opened an eye and looked down at her.

“Nothing,” she said. “I was just thinking.”

“About what?” Rickon asked.

Shireen closed her eyes. She lay still for some time. “This is better than a fairy tale.”

Rickon raised an eyebrow that she didn’t see. “I thought you liked fairy tales,” he said. “You even said that you wanted a fairy tale wedding.”

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“Oh, really?”

Shireen nodded firmly. “That was just an easy way for me not thinking it would ever happen: It was a fairy tale.” Shireen opened her eyes and looked directly at Rickon. “It was just a ridiculous fantasy to me. I didn’t _believe_ in fairy tales, you know? True love, daring adventures, magic spells… I always thought it was just for little kids. Keep them behaving and hoping for a happy future.”

Rickon stifled a giggle. “What changed?”

“I met you.”

“Aww, so cheesy.” Rickon kissed her temple.

Shireen elbowed him. “I’m serious.”

Rickon smiled. “I know,” he said. “That’s what makes you so cute.”

Shireen frowned at him. “I’ve decided to be against fairy tales,” she said. “Real life—this is better.”

Rickon’s smile turned devious. “So can we have an anti-fairy tale wedding?”

“What does that even mean?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted, “but I think we’ll figure it out.”

Shireen smiled and closed her eyes again. “That sounds great.”

\--

Rickon woke up early in the morning. He shuffled out of bed carefully so he wouldn’t wake Shireen. He got dressed quickly before heading downstairs.

As he expected, Stannis was already drinking a cup of coffee at the kitchen table. Stannis turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “You’re wearing that?”

Rickon looked down at his shirt. It was a nice shirt, but it wasn’t fancy at all. “I don’t want her to be suspicious.”

“I’m sure she’s been suspicious the entire trip.” Stannis took a sip.

“Probably.” Rickon poured a cup and sat down across from Stannis. “You’re coming, right? I’ll be just before sundown and—”

Stannis raised a hand. “It’s been on my calendar for a month,” he said. “Should I bring anything?”

Rickon shook his head. He leaned back in his chair and blew out a long breath. “I’ve already got it taken care of.”

“Got what taken care of?” Shireen walked into the kitchen and went to hug her dad. “Good morning.”

“We were just discussing you’re plans for the day,” Stannis said. His eyes went back to the newspaper. “You’re heading to Shipbreaker Bay and the cliffs for sight-seeing.”

Shireen grinned. “Sight-seeing in my hometown. I love it.” She poured a cup of coffee. “Are you coming?”

Stannis shook his head. “I’ve some work to attend to,” he said. “And I rather enjoyed the philharmonic last night. Thank you for extending the invitation.”

“No problem,” said Rickon. He looked in between Stannis and Shireen while they prepared and ate breakfast together. Rickon kept up an amiable conversation and was wholly impressed at Stannis’s ability to keep the plan for this evening under wraps.

“The weather should be favorable today,” Stannis commented. “You’ll have a great sight of Rainwood across the cliffs.”

“Will Tarth be visible?” Shireen asked. “One of my friends is from there.”

“Brienne?” Stannis asked. “I met her at your party. She’s a very astute woman.”

Shireen scoffed. “She’s amazing.”

Rickon wiped off his face and gathered the plates from the table. “I’m going to grab my stuff and get ready to head out.”

“I’m going to put a dress on,” Shireen said, “especially since the weather is so nice.” She skipped out of the room.

Rickon waited a moment before turning to Stannis. “You did that on purpose.”

Stannis flicked up the newspaper. “One of you might as well look nice.”

\--

Full, lilting sounds filled the air, making the docks of Shipbreaker Bay idyllic. It felt like a scene straight out of a movie with the waves crashing against the hulls of boats. While they weren’t allowed down onto the docks, the boats were still coming in and out of the harbor, bringing people to and from the islands they visited.

“Why didn’t we head out to the islands?” Shireen asked.

Rickon gaped at her. “We literally went on a cruise to Braavos.”

Shireen tilted her head. “Oh, right.” She shook her head. “There’s been so much, I keep thinking that was months ago.”

Rickon laughed. They got ice cream from a small shop on the docks. Their cones were swirled with flavorings, and Shireen insisted on taking pictures before they ate them. As soon as he was allowed, Rickon took a huge bite from the top of the cone.

Shireen recoiled. “Why?”

Rickon took some time to swallow and licked his lips. “It’s good.” Rickon finished his cone well before Shireen did, and led the way down the docks.

The wind picked up, threatening to mix Shireen’s hair in the ice cream. Shireen yelped and held the ice cream far away from her. Rickon gathered her hair in his hands and working it into a loose braid. Shireen leaned up to kiss his cheek. “I’m so glad I taught you how to braid my hair.”

“It’s not hard,” Rickon said. “Besides, now I can braid my own hair when I’m bored.”

Shireen raised an eyebrow at him. “Your hair is not long enough.”

“They’re very tiny braids,” admitted Rickon, “and they fall out almost immediately.”

“They fall out, or do you mess with your hair too much?”

“The second one.” Rickon put his arm over her shoulders. They continued walking down the docks until the path curved away. They ended up back at the car they borrowed from Stannis and started driving off to the cliffs.

The cliffs next to Storm’s End were a common tourist attraction as it was occupied by lots of local wildlife. Birds lived in the cliffside itself, and the surrounding area was fenced off with cattle native to the land. Rickon and Shireen spent some time feeding goats and petting the cows before actually walking out to the furthest edge of the cliffs.

“Why aren’t we allowed to sit on the edge?” asked Rickon. “They put a fence up.”

“There are children here.” Shireen leaned against the fence and shook out the braid. She put her head on Rickon’s shoulder. “This has been the perfect vacation.”

Rickon smiled. He bit his tongue to stop himself from commenting on how it was going to get better. Instead, he simply agreed with her. They found a nice spot to sit and have snacks while they enjoyed the view over the cliffs.

Shireen stretched out and yawned. “Are we heading home now?”

“We actually have one more stop.” Rickon stood up and held a hand out to Shireen. He helped her to her feet. “I have another request of yours to fulfill today.”

A grin slowly spread over Shireen’s face. “Are we going to a museum?”

“We are going to _the_ museum.”

It was a long drive through the traffic and the winding road to the main entrance of Storm’s End Castle. They weren’t allowed to drive through the gates, as the castle had long since been repurposed as historical site. Shireen was bouncing as they walked through the battlements to the main gate of the castle.

“How long ago did you have to book this?” asked Shireen.

Rickon shook his head. “What a terrible question to come from a Baratheon.” He checked in with the receptionist at the gate who handed them maps and bade them a good visit. “Though, I have to admit that I actually asked my dad to get access here.”

Shireen grimaced. “Really?”

“Well, he’s close friends with Robert,” Rickon explained, “and it worked.”

The castle tours were ending when they got in. Rickon and Shireen walked past all the people leaving the castle and headed up the battlements. The castle was in incredibly good repair. The stone walls looked like they hadn’t been touched since the castle was first built. The winds whipped at the walls.

Shireen grinned and faced the breeze. “Could you imagine living here?”

Rickon laughed. “I will remind you that my family still lives in Winterfell castle.”

“I guess.” Shireen continued along the battlements until she found her way back into the castle. As it had been reconfigured as a historical site, there were no modern items in the castle. It was adorned with tapestries and wooden carvings.

Rickon felt as if he had stepped backwards in time. His home was fully adapted to modern living. This castle still lived in the past. The dark shadows kept half of the hallways in darkness, save for where massive windows let in the light. They stepped into rooms and looked around. A few times, Shireen glanced around surreptitiously before sitting on a chair or a bed. Rickon laughed at her and followed her through the keep.

They wandered about for some time, exploring rooms and finding interesting parts of the castle. Rickon steered them around, glancing at his watch to keep track of the time. He always made sure that Shireen wouldn’t see him checking the time and get suspicious of his doings.

With five minutes until his expected deadline, Rickon started to get antsy. “Hey, we still haven’t been to my favorite part of the keep.”

“You have a favorite place in Storm’s End?” Shireen shot him a quick glance.

“Of course I do.” Rickon grinned. “Would you like to see it?”

Shireen smiled up at him. “You have my curiosity.”

Rickon took Shireen’s hand and led her through the castle. He started down the route that he memorized long ago. He was thankful that ancient Baratheons revived the godswood after being burned down in the War of the Five Kings. He automatically smiled when he saw the red leaves filling out the canopy.

Shireen’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t realize it was so bright in here.”

Rickon couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s gorgeous.”

“It’s almost like the one in Winterfell,” said Shireen. She turned to smile at Rickon. “Less snowy, though.”

Rickon followed Shireen as he wandered through the godswood. He kept his eyes trained on her and thanked the wind whistling through the castle for masking the clicking of a camera that he knew was hidden somewhere in the room. Now, he wasn’t even thinking about the time. Rickon’s focused rested solely on the small weight in his breast pocket.

“Rickon, come look at the heart tree!”

The heart tree had a solemn, serious face. Though it wasn’t smiling, Rickon felt the face held a look of approval.

Shireen spun around slowly. “You were right,” she said. “This is the best place in the keep.”

“Is it your favorite place?” Rickon asked. He came up in front of her and took her hands.

Shireen smiled at him. “Maybe not my _favorite_…”

“Really?” Rickon looked around. While Shireen tried to find what caught his eye, Rickon took the small ring box from his pocket. He waited for her to turn back, wanting more than anything to see her reaction.

“I do like it.” Shireen turned back to him.

Rickon smiled. He stepped back and went down on one knee. Rickon opened up the ring box and held it out her.

Shireen stood frozen for a few seconds. Then, an ecstatic smile spread across her face. She bit her lip and waited.

“Shireen.” Rickon grinned. “My life was flipped upside down from the moment I met you. You have made me happier than I thought was possible, and it is my dream to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you make all my dreams come true?”

Shireen leaned down and grabbed Rickon by the chin. She kissed him full on the mouth for several seconds. “You’re a fool if you thought I’d say no.”

“Can I hear you say yes?”

“Absolutely, one hundred percent yes.”

Rickon took Shireen’s hand and slid the ring onto her finger. Holding onto her hands, he stood up and pulled her into a kiss. Shireen smiled against his mouth. Rickon held onto her waist and tossed her up until her wrapped his arms around her legs to hold her up. Shireen giggled as she steadied herself against his shoulder and inclined her head to keep kissing him. After a while, Rickon finally set her down.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” Shireen asked. “You planned a weeks-long vacation just for this?”

“Yeah,” Rickon said lightly. “It had to be perfect for you.”

Shireen smiled. “Almost perfect,” she corrected. “You forgot something.”

Rickon shook his head. “Nope. I got everything.”

“Really?” Shireen raised an eyebrow at him. A branch crunched from some distance away. Shireen twisted toward the sound and her eyes brimmed with tears.

Stannis walked toward them with even steps. “May I be the first to offer my congratulations?”

Shireen ran at him and wrapped her arms around his middle. Stannis hugged her back. Over her head, he nodded at Rickon before shaking his hand. “About time.”

“Daddy!” Shireen aimed a light hit at his chest.

“He’s been asking me about it every time we visited for years,” explained Rickon. “I just wanted to do it on my own terms.”

“Good,” Shireen said. She hugged her dad one more time before returning to Rickon’s side. “Now, can I correctly assume there’s a photographer hiding somewhere that we have to pose for?”

Rickon nodded. “It was on your list.”

As they were shepherded around the clearing and put into a variety of poses, the smiles never left either of their faces. Rickon couldn’t stop himself from staring and Shireen. He hadn’t yet fully grasped the fact that she was going to be there for the rest of his life. Much as Rickon wanted to assume that would be their futures, having it set in a stone on her hand made it that much more real.


	7. Chapter 7

Epilogue:

Rickon wandered through the animal holdings, stopping to distribute food and checking that every animal had been properly cared for. He scanned the checklists near their habitats and smiled. Everyone was doing great with all of the northern animals. He put down the last checklist and stopped to play with his favorite animal in the building: Caz, the arctic fox. He checked the time to make sure he wouldn’t miss his time to leave.

“I don’t get it,” Farlen said.

Rickon locked the cage behind him and gave Farlen a long look. “Don’t get what?”

Farlen shrugged. “You’re basically the CEO. Why are you still hanging out down here?”

“I like the animals,” Rickon said. “Besides, I wouldn’t take the position if they offered it. I don’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day.”

Farlen raised an eyebrow at Rickon. “Haven’t you been promoted past all this grunt work?”

“Technically.” Rickon gathered his belongings and prepared to leave. “I just make sure that it’s in my contract to get to come down here and help out.”

Farlen shook his head. “You’re crazy.”

Rickon laughed. “Wait until you get stuck behind a desk,” Rickon said. He scanned a card to leave the building. “You’ll miss it down here.”

He threw all of his work things into the trunk of the car before driving off. It was before two in the afternoon. He had plenty of time to get into town. The drive was longer now that the company had relocated, but they were in a better position to release rehabilitated animals back into the wild.

Rickon headed off toward the city and pulled up at his usual stop after work. He left the car. The sounds of laughing and babbling children hit his ears as Rickon found a comfortable place by the tree in front of the school. He sat down and pulled up a book on his phone. About ten minutes later, the bell rang. Immediately, the noise increased as children ran out of the school and gathered with their siblings to walk home. Rickon stood up an pocketed his phone as a small girl dressed all in green ran up to him.

“Daddy!” she called. Her curly dark hair flew around her as she raced up to him.

Rickon reached out for his daughter and swung her up into his arms. He readjusted her several times before figuring out where to put his arms with her protruding tail and wings. “How was school, honey?”

The little girl giggled. She reached for her hood and pulled the plush dragon face over hers. “I scared everyone!”

“I’m sure you did, Sarra.” Rickon kissed her cheek. “Where’s your brother?”

Her eyes went wide. “He got in trouble.”

Rickon raised an eyebrow at her. “The same kind of trouble you got into last week?”

“No!” The girl erupted into giggles.

Rickon started toward the school. He entered the school and looked down the hall. A small boy with floppy auburn hair walked toward him. Rickon placed his dragon-daughter down and grabbed up his son. Rickon smiled at seeing his old costume on his son, thrilled that he looked like a proper knight of House Stark. “Torrhen, where’s your sword?”

Torrhen buried his face in his father’s neck. “They took it away.”

“He hit someone,” Sarra whispered.

“I did not!” Torrhen aimed a weak kick at his sister.

Rickon grabbed onto his ankle. “None of that,” he said. “Let me grab your sword and we can tell your momma what happened.”

The children behaved themselves as Rickon properly buckled them into his car and took off to their home. Sarra chattered about her day the entire time. Between the seats, Torrhen swiped his sword at her, but his short blade didn’t made contact. Rickon listened and commented when he could through the chatter. Once he pulled into the driveway, Sarra immediately released herself and took off to the front door.

“Mommy, we’re home!” she yelled and banged on the door.

Rickon went to get his son who refused to be carried. He put Torrhen down. The little knight ran off after his sister. “I’ll save you, Mommy!”

Shireen opened the door in a gorgeous gold dress. It was made in the old fashioned style of her children’s costumes. Sarra ran into her legs with a fit of giggles. Torrhen joined them a second later. Shireen laughed and picked up her son. “There’s my brave little hero,” she kissed his cheek. “How did school go?”

Rickon came up carrying his bag from work. “I had to pick up his sword for him.”

“What happened?” Shireen asked, looking to her son.

“Just a little spat between knights,” said Rickon. He leaned over his children to kiss Shireen. “Nothing to worry about. We just need to get this kid an outlet for that strength.”

Shireen shook her head. “That probably would’ve helped you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rickon ushered everyone inside and locked the door behind them.

They gathered around the table, and somehow managed to get all their homework on the table. Rickon kept the kids focused while Shireen prepared dinner. A few times, he had to stop Sarra from running off in search of the hidden candy. Torrhen was distracted by his sword and refused to work.

“If you finish first, I’ll let you light the pumpkins,” Rickon offered. This got the reaction he wanted. Rickon relaxed at the table while he supervised their children. They typically had a small dinner before trick-or-treating to offset the sugar intake expected tonight.

While he helped them pack away their complete work, Shireen hung over his shoulder. She leaned forward to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Thank you for the bouquet.”

“Did it come in a pumpkin?” asked Rickon. “I asked for a pumpkin.”

“It did.” Shireen kissed him again. This time, Rickon turned to properly match her lips. Shireen smiled at him. “Go put your costume on.”

Rickon dressed in a similar outfit to his son. They were both knights, as Torrhen kept trying to take Shireen away. He donned his doublet and breeches before heading back downstairs. Shireen carried plates of lasagna and salad to the table. She carefully served her children. Rickon held Shireen’s waist and kissed her cheek. “I assume this was a careful choice?”

“If they get messy, we can pretend it’s blood,” Shireen said.

“Good thinking.” Rickon helped with the rest of the plates and watched over his kids while they made a mess of their food. He did the washing up while Shireen helped Torrhen light the pumpkins outside. At dusk, Rickon went out into the front yard where his children were chasing each other around. Rickon took the chair next to Shireen. He held her hand and rubbed at her wedding ring. “Happy Hallo-versary.”

Shireen kissed him. “To you, too,” she said. “Are you ready to carry these kids all night?”

“Once I have to pick them up, we’re coming back home,” he said.

“You might want to tell them that.”

“Then, they’ll purposefully walk longer.” Rickon shook his head. “We just had to have smart kids.”

Shireen nodded in agreement. “They’re probably plotting to steal our candy after we go to sleep.”

Rickon smiled. “If they can find it, I’ll be very impressed.”

Shireen put her head on Rickon’s shoulder. She sighed. Rickon pressed a kiss to her temple. His life had found an even rhythm ever since he met Shireen. His shock had yet to dissipate at the fact that she had chosen him to be with and have kids with. Somehow, everything had ended up much better than he ever would have guessed when he was issued that detention many years ago.


End file.
